About Time
by Tarika Nachtwind
Summary: A visit to an alien planet shows our beloved Captain and her First Officer how precious live and love truly are. J/C


_A/N:__ When I signed up for the summer exchange I really wasn't sure about it. There is way too much going on in RL at the moment. I feared that I would not be able to finished this story on time or that I will just barely reach the 1000-words mark. I was absolutely surprised by this story and am really happy that I can still do it._

_Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Star Trek Voyager. They belong to Paramount._

**Written for the VAMB summer exchange. Inspired by the movie 'Lola rennt'. Dedicated to CaptKJaneway.**

**About Time**

The old, wooden door closed behind them with a creaking noise.

"Ahhh, I thought that talking would never end." Captain Kathryn Janeway stretched her arms and back with apparent pleasure. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face.

"I think that _talking _did achieve more than one of your photon torpedoes would have," her second in command, Commander Chakotay, teased. Yet, he couldn't help staring at her slender form being basked in sunlight. Her hair was a golden flame.

Kathryn resisted the sudden urge to stick her tongue out at him, it wouldn't have been very captain-like, unfortunately.

"Not true." She pouted. "Well, maybe I would have needed _two_ torpedoes, but it would have saved us a lot of time." She leveled one of her famous glares at him, though it was softened with humor. "Admit it."

Laughing, Chakotay held his hands up.

"OK, OK, I surrender. But honestly, Captain, it did go rather well, don't you think? Everything on our list is beamed up to Voyager this very minute and we even have some time to spare." He offered her his arm. "Care to take a stroll through this wondrous city with me?"

She put her left hand in the crook of his right arm and smiled up at him.

"Of course. Lead on."

Chakotay snorted.

"That would be a first... Ouch." He was rewarded with a smack to his upper arm.

Chuckling, they both stepped down the great marble staircase that lead to the great city hall, and down a winding garden path that was flanked with beautiful flowers of every color until they turned around a corner, out of the view of the door that had, finally, closed behind them.

Voyager's crew had been very lucky to stumble over a peaceful and technological advanced race as they limped across the Delta Quadrant, once more dangerously low on energy and food supplies. The Benuuzalens had been willing to help, but had insisted that Voyager's command team would lead the trade talks. They had obliged and even though it took quite some time to come to terms (not to mention the obligatory feasts and tours around the capital city of Benuuza), the talks had been very successful. Now, Captain and Commander were only too happy to stretch their legs and do some exploring of their own. No nosy guides, no overzealous servants. O glorious freedom!

"Why do I suddenly have the feeling that we are among Vulkans? Everybody looks so stern, nobody smiles."

Chakotay looked up from the mural he had been studying and let his eyes sweep around.

"You are right, they appear rather austere. Maybe it's the Temple. We crossed the boarder to the Holy District a few streets ago. They are a very religious people and take it very seriously."

Until a few minutes ago, Kathryn had thought that the Benuuzalens could do nothing but smile. She hadn't really liked it. It was too wide, too dazzling and to her human mind it seemed false. But now, she could almost feel a coldness rising from their midst. She shuddered involuntarily.

"Why didn't we notice it before?"

Chakotay laughed.

"On our tour we were fairly busy listening to our extremely talkative guide who had to point out every single little detail to us." He noticed that she rubbed her arms as if she were cold. "Are you alright?", he asked with concern.

"Oh." She let her arms sink and massaged her forehead with her right hand. "Yes, I'm fine. It is nothing, really."

"Maybe we should leave."

"No, please, it's OK. I want to take a look around. On our tour we didn't have the time to look at all these beautiful statues and murals." She started to walk down the street. Chakotay followed, not entirely convinced. But soon they forgot their uneasiness as they marveled at the stunningly delicate craftsmanship of every piece of art.

One statue caught Kathryn's eye. It was hidden in the shadow of some building's corner. It was the small bronze likeness of a Benuuzalen, but what really caught her interest was the hourglass it was holding.

"Oh look, Chakotay, isn't that just beautiful?" She pointed at the delicately worked golden trinket. The sand, or whatever was inside the perfect glass, shimmered blue.

"Yes, it is," breathed Chakotay. Unconsciously, both stretched out their hands. They touched each other when their fingertips brushed against the hourglass.

=/\=

She pressed the chime.

"Just a minute," Chakotay called from the other side of the door.

Self-consciously, she smoothed out invisible crinkles in her dress. The floor-length piece was of a blue-gray color, exactly matching the color of her eyes and highlighting her hair which softly fell onto her shoulders. It had seemed like a good idea to go to this last feast and ball the Benuuzalens invited them to as Kathryn rather than the Captain. After the arduous days of trade talks, she had looked forward to literally led her hair down for one evening.  
>The whole crew had been invited by Consul Benja to attend the annual Celebration of Light, providing they came in fancy casual clothes, presenting their home and culture.<br>She had loved the design of the dress and her hair felt so light and free, yet both also superseded the mantle of the invincible captain, she usually wore with perfection, leaving her oddly vulnerable. And the prospect of spending a whole evening in Chakotay's presence like this, made her nervous.

"Wow, you look stunning!"

Kathryn jumped slightly as Chakotay suddenly stood in front of her. She blushed a little and not only because of the compliment. Her second in command looked very smart in a tux.

"You, too, look very nice," she returned the favor.

He smiled, appreciatively.

"Shall we go then? I don't think the Benuuzalens would like it if we came too late to the greatest of their religious festivals."

Kathryn shuddered, thinking about the feeling she had had this afternoon.

"I don't suppose they would. Let's go."

They didn't talk much, once they had beamed down and made their way to the Holy District, but now and then they would sneak shy glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. The sun was just setting and everywhere in the city colorful lights appeared in honor of the celebration. A few people were still in the streets, donned in their best clothes, walking to the Temple. Apparently, they were not enough, as the command team suddenly found themselves in a deserted alleyway. A strange yelping noise made them both turn around in alarm. Kathryn was the first to laugh.

"A little puppy. Isn't it cute?"

Indeed, a small dog-like creature with fine silvery fur was doing everything to gain their attention: whining softly, chasing its tail or looking at them with its puppy eyes. Kathryn could hardly resist petting it.

Chakotay chuckled. He knew of his Captain's love for anything cuddly on four legs that even had a remote similarity to a dog. Still, he caught her hand.

"No, Captain, we are already running late."

Sighing wistfully, she endowed the puppy with one last longing look and turned back to her companion.

"You are right, as always."

On the border to the Holy District, Consul Benja was already watching for them.

"There you are! How splendid you look, Captain. And you, Commander, how very fine. These are typical dressing gowns of your culture, I presume? How astounding!", he happily chattered away. He was this planet's version of Neelix. Captain and Commander shared a knowing look and smile and followed their still talking host to the Great Temple Hall, were the festivities would be held.

The Holy District was even more alight with thousands of little lamps, that glowed in all the colors of the rainbow, then the rest of the city. There were booths lining the streets that sold all kinds of food: a diversity of fruits, stir-fried vegetables and freshly baked bread and cakes, their mouthwatering odors wafting in the air. Consul Benja told them that most of the people would celebrate on the open streets, only select people were invited to the Great Temple Hall. Voyager's crew, except for the senior staff, would be celebrating outside as well. On one stand a small band just began to play. It sounded alien to human ears, but was still beautiful. People all around them started to cheer. Everybody seemed to be in a good mood. Kathryn was glad. Her crew would enjoy themselves.

"The celebration is in honor of our god Nuru who brought light and wisdom to our world, enlightening our forefathers. It was the greatest gift bestowed upon our people and we remember it with this wonderful festival. It is also the time to exchange gifts. You see, your coming to us during the holidays was quite inspired. What kinds of celebrations do you have, Captain?"

Kathryn smiled.

"Many people on our world have actually a similar tradition."

"How marvelous! Do tell me about it, Captain!"

So, the command team launched into an explanation of all the different customs that had developed on earth and hardly noticed that they had finally arrived. They were ushered into a great building and found themselves in an enormous hall that glittered with so much light, that both humans had to shield their eyes.

"First, the high priest of the Great Temple will read a sermon, then there will be a special program

with music and stories, and then we will eat the best food you can imagine. They only have it once a year. Most people would rather skip the first part and go right to the feast, especially as many of them are fasting beforehand. I can't blame them. I often wish that myself. But it is tradition and an honor to Nuru, so we endure it with glad hearts," Benja told his guests.

After an hour and a half of listening to the monotone voice of the high priest, Kathryn could only agree. She hid yet another yawn behind her hand. Suddenly, there was a commotion somewhere behind them. As she looked into the puzzled faces of the attending Benuuzalens this was definitely not part of the program. All at once, a group of masked people appeared on the stand, holding a variety of weapons, one was directed at the high council president whose seat was in the very first row, one at the high priest. The crowd was on their feet, there was screaming, some were running in panic only to fall into one another.

"Silence!", roared one of the masked mob and shot twice into the air to emphasize his words. The crowed quieted down considerably, but choked sobs were heard everywhere. Kathryn felt Chakotay's arms around her, holding her tight.

"That is much better," the mob's spokesperson acknowledged. "We, The Sword of Nuru, are a group of true religious men. We follow the commandments of the great Nuru. But you," he pointed his gun first at the high council president and then at the high priest, "you have tainted His pure light. You have tainted it when you allowed off-worlders to visit our Holy District. We had to watch as they gaped at our most sacred relics, even touched them! But what is worse, you invited them to this, our greatest celebration to honor Nuru! You, the elect, our so-called political and religious leaders!"

The high priest and the high council president both held their hands high in the air and shared one look. The high priest took one brave step.

"Look, I, too, honor Nuru. I am His high priest and I love him more than my life. If you want to take it from me, I won't fight you. I'll die for Him if it is His will. But listen to His teachings: he brought light and love into our world. He values friendship and being kind to others above everything else. These off-worlders, as you call them, are our friends. They came to us in the need of kindness and mercy. With the light of Nuru shining upon us we found it a pleasure to do so. They gave us an insight into their culture. The story of their voyage is truly marvelous. I know that Nuru's light shines upon them, also."

"You disgust me!" The leader of TSON spat on the ground in front of the high priest's feet. "But I believe you." He turned and panned the hall. For a heartbeat or two, Kathryn felt his eyes on her. She swallowed hard. With a grin he approached the crowd. "I believe you, that you think you did right in Nuru's eyes. You are soft and easily influenced. You are not to blame. No. No, it is solely the off-worlders' fault. It is only fair that they shall be punished instead."

Then everything happened very fast. He fired and the crowd cried out in panic. Suddenly, everyone was trying to reach the door. Kathryn heard the scared screams, the rushing of her blood in her ears, her own heartbeat as if they came from far away. She felt feathery-light and it was as if she was floating. An odd heat began to flow through her body.

"Kathryn!", somebody yelled in anguish.

All at once, she felt much heavier than normal, staggering under the extra weight. Chakotay's arms caught her and tenderly lowered her onto the ground. Bewildered, she looked up into his face, his eyes were glittering ominously.

"Chak...," she croaked trying in vain to raise her head.

"Shhh, don't move, try not to speak. You need to conserve you strength!"

Something was off. Her lips were dry. No, not only her lips, her mouth, even her throat were as dry as old parchment. She coughed and tasted something coppery. Chakotay looked at her as if he were in pain. Did he get hurt? Her stomach twisted in fear. She licked her lips.

"Are you alright?", she whispered.

"Am I _alright_? Kathryn, I'm okay. But you, you..."

Aren't. Finally, she realized that she was the one who was hit, that in that tiny moment their eyes had met, the mad man had chosen her for his so called punishment.  
>Then there were a lot of faces, serious, concerned, even scared. She could make out this consul guy, Benja was his name, and Tom Paris. Bemused, she watched Chakotay repeatedly hitting his chest. The voices around her became one buzzing sound, giving her an headache. Dizzy, she closed her eyes. Of course! Chakotay was trying to reach Voyager. She smiled in her mind.<br>He had forgotten that contacting the ship was impossible from anywhere within the Holy District.  
>Then she understood something else. She looked at her second in command who knelt over her.<p>

"Late. Won't. Captain." She struggled with each word.

"No, Kathryn! You can't do this to me. Hang in there! Stay with me, my love!" His last words were barely audible. Nobody else could have heard them. They looked at each other. His tears were falling onto her face, moistening her lips. He must have seen astonishment shining in her eyes.

"You heard right. I love you. But I was too much of a coward to tell you all this time. I'm sorry." His words were meant only for her ears. He gently touched her face. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. Even if you don't want me, I'll always be there for you. You just need to hang on, alright?"

"Don't sorry. My fault."

"No, Kathryn, no, it is not your fault! Nothing is..."

"I've..." She fought for enough air, her gaze became intense. "I've always loved you."

He smiled sadly at her.

"We are quite a pair, aren't we?"

She tried to smile back at him, but then heavy fog started to blur Chakotay's body. It came in faster and faster until she was alone.

"No," she thought angrily and put her fists on her hip, at least in her thoughts. "What a stupid end. It is totally unfair. I don't like it."

"Good," a strange voice answered. "Then choose something else."

"I do."

=/\=

She pressed the chime.

"Just a minute," Chakotay called from the other side of the door.

Nervously, she fiddled with her dress. She loved it and was glad to be out of her uniform for this evening. It had been a while since she had dressed in something different. Yet, it also left her oddly vulnerable. In her Captain's uniform she knew who she was, what she was doing, why she was doing it and where her boundaries were. With the dress everything shifted. She was still Captain, but more so a woman going to a celebration with her date. At least, that was what it felt like. Chakotay was her first officer and so it was only natural to go together to the annual Celebration of Light Consul Benja had them invited to, wasn't it?

"Wow, you look stunning!" Kathryn jumped slightly as Chakotay suddenly stood in front of her. "That reminds me... Wait here." Kathryn blinked and he was gone again. Dumbfounded, she gaped at his door. He was back in no time, catching her bemused look and smiled. In his hand he held a piece of fabric.

"Here, this is for you."

It was a shawl made of the finest silver-gray silk interwoven with a certain thread that glittered in all the colors of the rainbow. She gasped.

"O, how beautiful!"

"Isn't it?" Chakotay beamed at her. "I've bought it for you some time ago. I just waited for the right moment. Today is perfect!"

She blushed a little, but then draped it over her shoulder and turned on the spot.

"Like I said, perfect!"

Her blush deepened. "Thank you."

He laughed and looked at her fondly.

"Shall we go then? I don't think the Benuuzalens would like it if we came too late to the greatest of their religious festivals."

Kathryn shuddered, thinking about the feeling she had had this afternoon.

"I don't suppose they would. Let's go."

They didn't talk much, once they had beamed down and made their way to the Holy District, but now and then they would sneak shy glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. The sun was just setting and everywhere in the city colorful lights appeared in honor of the celebration. A few people were still in the streets, donned in their best clothes, walking to the Temple. Apparently, they were not enough, as the command team suddenly found themselves in a deserted alleyway. A strange yelping noise made them both turn around in alarm. Kathryn was the first to laugh.

"A little puppy. Isn't it cute?"

Indeed, a small dog-like creature with fine silvery fur was doing everything to gain their attention: whining softly, chasing its tail or looking at them with its puppy eyes. Kathryn couldn't resist petting it.

"O, how soft his fur is!", she exclaimed and giggled when it licked her petting hand.

Chakotay smiled.

"How do you know it is a he?"

"I don't. 'It' just doesn't sound right. Right, little guy?" The dog snorted in agreement and run a few meters. Then it turned to look back at them and wagged its little tail.

"I think he wants us to follow him."

Chakotay caught her left arm when she started to do just that.

"No, Kathryn, we are already running late."

Sighing wistfully, she endowed the puppy with one last longing look and turned back to her companion.

"You are right, as always."

They walked on. Every street was eerily silent now, except for the wind whistling around the corners. They were indeed running late. A slight scraping noise to her left made Kathryn pause once more. Expecting to see the dog again she looked around, but she saw nothing but an empty street.

"What is wrong?" Chakotay had stopped as well.

"I thought I heard something. It might have been our little friend, but..." She shrugged.

Chakotay shook his head.

"If you need a puppy that much, maybe you should have kept Q's gift."

"Or maybe you should listen to your companion." The strange, cold voice made her hair stand up in the nape of the neck. Dark shadows were coming from both ends of the small street, the command team had just entered moments ago, effectively cutting off any escape. One shadow in front of them stepped forward, letting the light of a lantern illuminate his features, though it didn't tell them much. He was clad in black clothes, wearing a mask and aiming a weapon at them.

"How nice of you to walk around these deserted streets so late," he said conversationally. "Not very polite to those who invited you to the festival, not to mention plain disrespectful towards the great Nuru, but very convenient for us, indeed. You know, we would have hated to cause a scene in the Great Temple Hall, even though it would have been necessary."

Kathryn squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Calmly she locked eyes with him.

"I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship Voyager. This," she pointed at Chakotay, "is my First Officer, Commander Chakotay. How may we be of help?"

"We know who you are, off-worlder," he spat, "and it doesn't matter, anyway. You are not supposed to be here, running around our Holy District like nosy children. We have watched you this afternoon. You even touched our sacred relics. The Holy District belongs to true believers, not to sight-seeing aliens. And then you even got an invitation to one of our most holy festivals. You could never appreciate this honor, let alone pay proper respect to one of our greatest gods."

"In our society we respect each other's religion and believes. As do we and the crew of our ship. If we behaved anything but respectful it was never deliberate," Chakotay addressed the group, while he put his arm supportingly, almost protectively on the small of her back.

"Ignorance is no excuse. Therefore, you will be punished!"

Things then happened very fast, but it seemed to Kathryn as if she was watching everything in slow motion. The leader of the mob didn't waste anymore time, aimed his weapon at her and fired and at the same moment she felt herself being pushed down. She fell onto the street, hard, with her head striking the boarder of the sidewalk, leaving her momentarily disoriented. The sound of running feet pounded her tormented brain and something large and heavy lying on top of her squeezed the air out of her lungs. Mercifully, the big object – Chakotay, she realized – rolled of her and she greedily took several breaths. Doing a quick self-inventory, she found that apart from an impressive headache and a matching bump on her head she was unharmed. She sat up.

"You saved my life, Chakotay, thank you!"

There was no reply. Worried, she stared at his unmoving form. He was still lying on the street, slightly curled and facing away from her.

"Chakotay?"

She felt her insides knot with fear as she gently touched his shoulder. He groaned slightly. Carefully, she turned him on his back. His hands were clutching his stomach, beads of perspiration were forming on his brow and his eyes were closed. With tender care, she slowly pried his fingers from the wound, trying to assess the damage. It looked bad. He was bleeding profusely and was losing a lot of blood. In a matter of seconds she had ripped stripes of cloth from the bottom of her dress and applied this makeshift bandage to his injury. She pressed down hard with both hands to slow the blood flow. Chakotay groaned again and opened his eyes.

"Kathryn," he whispered.

"Shhh..."

Kathryn lifted her right hand and shifted her weight slightly so that she could keep the pressure on his stomach even. She hit her com-badge and met only static. They were already too close to the Holy District and its dampening field. They looked at each other and Kathryn could see the defeat in his eyes.

"Too late... help..."

"O, no no no no no, help is probably already on its way. I know, Benja will be missing us. It can't be long now!" There was defiance in her voice, trying to convince not only him.  
>"And what business had you, anyway, to jump in front of that crazy gunman?", she chided him softly.<p>

"Had to. Couldn't let kill you. My job..." His words became slurred and he was wheezing.

"I never read it anywhere in the First Officer's job description that he should give his life for his Captain. Next time, you read the small print, before signing any dubious job contracts."

He smiled slightly at that. Kathryn slowly caressed his brow and cheek. They were cold and clammy; he was going into shock. She glanced at her left hand, still pressing down firmly on his stomach. The cloth was soaking through very fast. She bit her lip and tore off even more from her dress. Her eyes stung while she changed the bandages. She blinked several times. He was going to live, he simply had to!

"So cold!" His voice was barely audible.

"You can't leave me!" The tears finally won the battle. Annoyed, she brushed them away.

"You OK. Strongest person know."

"Only, because you were there to catch me. I can't live without you. I love you."

His lips twitched as if he was trying to smile again.

"Always hoped. Thought did." His eyes fluttered, he couldn't keep them open, anymore.

"Love you."

"I know," she whispered sadly, "I know." Her tears were flowing freely, now. She raised her head and angrily stared at the night sky of Benuuza.

"This isn't right! He isn't supposed to die! I won't let it end this way!"

"As you wish," a strange voice answered.

=/\=

She pressed the chime.

"Just a minute," Chakotay called from the other side of the door.

Kathryn couldn't help but playing restlessly with the ends of a shawl that was draped around her shoulders. It was a very beautiful and fine needlework. A special thread that was intertwined with the finest gray silk refracted even the tiniest bit of light, so that the cloth was sparkling in all the colors of the rainbow. But it also meant that it attracted a lot of attention, as did, ultimately, the wearer. Chakotay had given it to her after a shore leave. She had been very moved by this lovely present but had not found the right moment to actually wear it, until this day, that is. It fit nicely with her dress. Yet, both also made her slightly uncomfortable.

True, as a captain she was used to people staring at her, but they were looking at her, the leader, waiting for a command or advice. She was not used to have these looks directed to Kathryn Janeway, the woman. A few crew members passing by had done just that, even though they had quickly lowered their eyes. And there was also Chakotay. She would spend the evening with him. They had done all the trade talks together, so of course, they would also attend the Celebration of Light together. There wasn't anything to it. Nevertheless, the thought of spending this evening in his presence made her somewhat nervous.

"Wow, you look stunning!" Kathryn jumped slightly as Chakotay suddenly stood in front of her. His eyes lightened up when he saw that she was wearing his gift. He smiled.

"I was right, it does look perfect on you!"

She felt herself blush and looked at her shoes to hide it. He chuckled, which only deepened her blush, now of embarrassment. She almost felt like a teenager again. She truly needed something smart to say, but nothing came to her mind. Chakotay rescued her.

"Shall we go then? I don't think the Benuuzalens would like it if we came too late to the greatest of their religious festivals."

Kathryn shuddered, thinking about the feeling she had had this afternoon.

"I don't suppose they would. Let's go."

They didn't talk much, once they had beamed down and made their way to the Holy District, but now and then they would sneak shy glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. The sun was just setting and everywhere in the city colorful lights appeared in honor of the celebration. A few people were still in the streets, donned in their best clothes, walking to the Temple. Apparently, they were not enough, as the command team suddenly found themselves in a deserted alleyway. A strange yelping noise made them both turn around in alarm. Kathryn was the first to laugh.

"A little puppy. Isn't it cute?"

Indeed, a small dog-like creature with fine silvery fur was doing everything to gain their attention: whining softly, chasing its tail or looking at them with its puppy eyes. Kathryn couldn't resist petting it.

"O, how soft his fur is!", she exclaimed and giggled when it licked her petting hand.

Chakotay smiled.

"How do you know it is a he?"

"I don't. 'It' just doesn't sound right. Right, little guy?" The dog snorted in agreement and run a few meters. Then it turned to look back at them and wagged its little tail.

"I think he wants us to follow him."

Chakotay caught her left arm when she started to do just that.

"No, Kathryn, we are already running late."

She frowned and looked back at the puppy. It looked so lost. Something wasn't right.

"I've owned dogs almost my entire life. I'm sure he doesn't just want to show us his bone. There may be something wrong." When the little creature understood that these people were indeed following him, he picked up his pace, running as fast as his little legs could carry him, never looking back. The humans following him started to jog as well.

"Are you sure? He might just be running away," Chakotay questioned.

"Yes. He knows we are following."

They zigzagged through a handful of streets until the little dog stopped suddenly in front of a very old house that was well on its way to go rack and ruin and started to bark frantically, the Benuuzian equivalent of a bark which sounded more like sneezing. Panting, the command team came to a halt and looked around. The street was quiet and compared to the rest of the city rather dark, even though a few lights were glowing here and there.

"Did you hear that?", Chakotay asked.

"What?"

"I thought there was a noise. It sounded almost like children crying." Both listened intensely. There it was again.

"I hear it, too. Look," she pointed at a window on the third floor. Behind the glass were two blurred circles, faces, she realized. "There are the children." But something was amiss. She squinted into the darkness. Was there an orange glow behind the windows on the fourth floor?

"Chakotay," she cried, "the apartment above them is on fire!" She hit her comm-badge. "Janeway to Voyager."

"Voyager here, Captain." Tuvok's voice was mixed with static.

"There seem to be children in a burning house. Is a beam out possible?"

"Negative, Captain, we are experiencing too much interference. You are too close to the Holy District."

"Then we'll have to do it the hard way. Try to inform someone from the government of our situation. Do you have our coordinates?"

"Yes, Captain. We'll contact them right away."

"Good. Janeway out."

Kathryn shared a look with Chakotay, who immediately started to search for the entrance.

"I'm going to get them out of there. Wait here. Where is the door?"

"Probably in the back. And I am coming with you!" Both were running around the house.

"Kathryn! We can't risk you in there." He rapped on the door. It was locked. It was made of wood but had a glass window. Kathryn handed him a rock that had been lying to her feet. "Thank you."

"You forgot that I am the Captain." She bend down and started to tear stripes of fabric off her dress.

"No, I didn't. It is my job to keep you safe." He smashed the glass. Immediately, they smelled burning wood. But there was another problem. The window was rather small.

"Looks like you need me, after all. Give me a leg up."

"No way! Stay back, I am going to tear this door apart."

Kathryn eyed the door dubiously. It looked very solid.

"It won't work. You should just help me climb in."

He appeared not to listen and rammed it with his shoulder. It didn't budge, but there was a crunching noise in his shoulder. His face contorted in pain.

"Why are you so horribly stubborn?" Kathryn wasn't sure whether he meant the door or her. "You wouldn't argue with Tuvok."

"I trust his logical mind." Besides, I don't love him.

The doormat caught her eye. She picked it up and smiled. People throughout the universe were more alike than they cared to admit. Triumphantly, she held the key under Chakotay's nose. He stared at her, dumbfounded.

"You don't what?"

Did she say that aloud?

"Never mind that now."

For the split of a second, Chakotay looked as if he wanted to argue, but he quickly turned back to the task ahead. Only his face showed the 'Later, we'll have the talk'-expression. Kathryn bit her lip, put the key in its matching hole and opened the persistent door.

"After you," she said, "but put this on your mouth and nose, first." She handed him the cloth and tied another around her face. The hurried up the old, wooden stairs. The children's cries were clearer, now, yet they could also her the crackling of the fire. And the air thickened with every step they took.

They had almost reached the third landing when there was a loud, bursting sound. Kathryn looked up and instinctively pushed Chakotay onto the landing at the same time. She could just see him stumble into the door of the apartment before a part of the staircase from above came crashing down on her. With a last effort she jumped onto the landing herself, escaping being trapped underneath the debris by mere inches. Her foot twisted beneath her, sending her into the rubble with a cry of pain. She fell unfortunately, hitting her left shoulder and her head in the process.

"Kathryn!" Chakotay's voice cracked with fear.

Kathryn groaned and opened her eyes only to find Chakotay's ashen face right in front of her.

"I'm fine." Her shoulder felt as if it was on fire as well, but she wasn't likely to tell him that. She gingerly sat up. He gently assisted her into a standing position.

"Are you sure? You are bleeding!" He pointed at her left temple.

"It is nothing, I..." She had put her weight on her right foot and would have fallen a second time, if Chakotay hadn't held her upright. The pain left her dizzy and weak. Fortunately, she was close enough to the wall to lean against it. She took several deep breaths to steady herself. Chakotay gazed at her wordlessly, his eyes full of worry. Kathryn tried to smile reassuringly at him.

"I'm fine, just twisted my ankle."

"Maybe you should sit down."

"No. I don't think I would be able to get up, again," she confessed. "You go on. You need to get the children! I'll stay here. And take the cloth for the children as well."

He nodded, took the remaining two stripes of fabric, walked to the door and tried to open it. It, too, was locked, of course. Again, he tried to break it in, this time with more success since the door was much thinner and of poor quality. It gave way after the third try.

As Chakotay vanished into the apartment, Kathryn, trying not to think about her foot, looked at the gaping hole in the staircase above her. Either one or both of them could have been buried underneath the broken part and got seriously hurt in the process, if they had been a tick slower. It had been very close. Above the hole she could see the fire dancing in the roof truss. They were lucky in that way. The fire and most of the smoke would stay up there for still a while. The biggest danger was, besides smoke inhalation, that another part of the stair or of the roof would collapse on them. When she cast her eyes onto the pile of wood next to her, she found that it was partly rotten and would have collapsed on its own, sooner rather than later. It was terrible careless to allow people to live in this house, let alone children.

Then she saw the red emergency button. It was blinking beneath a fire symbol. It was on the other side of the landing, but blinking meant it probably still worked. So, she hopped to it, keeping as much weight off her ankle as possible, and pressed it. For a moment or two nothing happened, then the siren went off. It was a horrible noise but was sure to attract attention to the burning building. Sprinklers came on as well. They didn't reach the fire, everything else, though, got thoroughly wet. On the upside, the fire would take even longer to reach the lower floors, on the downside, the floor was now very slippery. She tried in vain not to worry about their way back with one twisted ankle, two sore shoulders and two children having to climb over a pile of wet, unstable wood.

The sprinklers' water supply seemed to be exhausted just as Chakotay appeared in the door frame. He was carrying a girl of about four (in human terms that is) on his good arm, while a little six year-old boy was clutching Chakotay's left leg, hindering him in his stride. Whereas the girl had seemingly forgotten the danger they all were in – she was much more fascinated by her rescuer – the boy still was crying in heartrending tones, calling for his Papa. Then their eyes fell on Kathryn and she saw Chakotay's smile. She probably bore quite a resemblance to a drowned rat. But the little boy released his hold and catapulted himself into her arms. She had to brace herself so that she wouldn't fall a second time, and hissed in pain as both offending limbs, shoulder and ankle, protested against the newest mistreatment. Nevertheless, she offered the child her left hand even though it was attached to the sore shoulder. She would need her right arm to lean on the hand rail of the stairs. She prayed that it would withstand her weight, as it was likely to be as old and frail as the rest of the house.

"You can't walk on that foot."

"I must. You can't carry me out of here as well."

He sighed.

"At least let me take the boy."

She shook her head.

"No. You'll need one arm free. The floor is too wet, you might slip with the girl."

"Then I'll get the girl down to the next level and come back for both of you. You can't climb over all this debris without help." He had a point.

"Alright. But I won't wait here. We don't have the time." She coughed. The smoke was starting to effect her. They needed to get out of here, especially the children. "Go." He nodded and turned. She watched as he carefully picked his way down. Then she addressed the child beside her.

"You look like a strong little boy. I've hurt my foot. Can you help me?"

The boy looked up at her. His eyes were still wet with tears, but there now was a ray of hope and pride in them.

"Yes. I'll help you."

They slowly walked to the hand rail. Kathryn tried to keep her breathing even and lock out the pain. The boy did his best to steady her. After a few very long minutes, Chakotay was back. He carried the boy over a large pile of broken wood. She was forced to wait for his help. A little while later it was her turn. He supported her as best as he could, yet every step she took intensified the agony. Stars danced before her eyes. But she gritted her teeth and pushed the pain back again and again. When the stairs were clear of broken parts, she took over the boy again. Step by step they escaped the danger. Chakotay was faster. He took the little girl to safety and then came back for his Captain and her charge. As they made it out of the door, hands reached for them out of nowhere, taking the boy and offering help to the adults. Relief stole all of her strength, physically and mentally. Help had come at last! She took one more step and knew no more.

The first thing she heard where whispered words she couldn't understand. A cool hand was gently stroking her forehead. It felt rather nice. In fact, she felt rather nice as well. The pain had subsided. With a content sigh she opened her eyes. Chakotay smiled down at her.

"Hello there, sleeping beauty. How do you feel?"

"Good actually." Kathryn shyly smiled back at him.

"One of the Benuuzian doctors treated us for smoke inhalation and gave us something for the pain. Without getting us to one of their medical facilities they couldn't do much else. I told them it was fine. Our Doctor will be more than happy to treat us." His eyes narrowed. "You broke your ankle, by the way and you didn't tell my about your shoulder!"

"There where more pressing matters at that time."

"If you hadn't come with me, you wouldn't..."

"If I hadn't come with you," she cut him of, "you probably would have been trapped underneath that stair. Besides, we can't turn back the time and I am fine, nothing the Doctor couldn't fix. Where are the children? How are they? And how are you?"

"Me? I am fine, nothing the Doctor couldn't fix." Chakotay laughed softly at the glare directed at him and helped her into a sitting position. "The children were treated for smoke inhalation, as well , but they didn't suffer anything else. They are over there. Seems like they finally found the father." He pointed in a direction behind her back.

Kathryn twisted until she could see them. A male Benuuzalen in strange black clothes opposed to the colorful ones most of the citizens were wearing today, was hugging the children, visibly relieved. When their eyes met, she could read gratitude, though also bafflement and guilt. That was odd, but, she concluded, most likely because he left the children on their own. She nodded to him in acknowledgement.

"Did you mean it?" Chakotay's question brought her attention back to him.

"What?"

"What you said about Tuvok."

"That I don't love him?"

"Yes. No. You know..." She grimaced slightly.

"I didn't want to say that aloud. But, yes, I meant it. I do love you, always did." She was talking to her knees.

"Why did you never say anything?"

She raised her head.

"You know that being Captain and First Officer complicates everything. Besides, I could never be sure that you love me back. You never told me, not in so many words."

That shocked him.

"But I loved you from the very second I saw you. I told you that you brought me peace as nothing else had. The legend..."

"...was only a story. And a long time ago. Much has happened since then."

He took her hand.

"I am sorry," he said earnestly. "Can I make it up to you?"

"You can always kiss me."

And he did just that. Butterflies started to dance in her belly.

'I like this,' she thought, 'I really, really like this.'

"Finally," a strange voice answered with a groan.

=/\=

It felt almost like an electrical shock. Kathryn and Chakotay let go of the hourglass in surprise and looked at one another in astonishment. What had just happened? Kathryn opened her mouth, however, somebody else beat her to it.

"Hey you, off-worlders, what do you think you're doing, touching our sacred relics like that? Have you know respect for other cultures?" A small group of Benuuzalens approached them. Dazed, the command team straightened up.

Another man wearing white robes, a priest they realized, saw the commotion and walked up to the humans. He peered at their faces, smiled widely, turned around to face the group and held up his arms disarmingly.

"My friends, you are mistaken. These strangers have not touched the statue of Seher consciously, but were really touched by him." A murmur started among them. "I know, being touched by Seher is a rather unusual occurrence among our people and that it happened to people that are not of this world is remarkable. But look at their eyes. Don't you see the light of Seher shining in them?"

A tall man, the spokesperson of the group, – Kathryn thought that he looked slightly familiar – lowered his eyes and bowed slightly.

"Forgive us. We judged too soon. This isn't the way of the great Nuru. May his light shine always upon you." He beckoned to the rest of the group and they left with one last bow directed to the priest.

"And forgive me," the priest now addressed Captain and Commander, "It is not our custom to just take matters into our own hands without asking first. I haven't even introduced myself. I am Ninju, serving, as you can probably tell, as a priest in the Holy District. You are Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay?" His smile widened when he saw the bewilderment on their faces. "News travel fast around here. I wouldn't have interrupted so rudely, but the situation could have gotten out of hand, easily. There are groups who take our religion very seriously. They don't agree with the new open policy regarding to people not from our world the government introduced just a few years ago. To be touched by Seher..." He shook his head, "The last time a man had been touched by him was ten years ago, right before this new policy. No wonder that these fundamental groups have grown so much since then, people started to feel that the gods have turned against us. And now you! How remarkable! How remarkable, indeed!"

"I don't wish to be disrespectful, but could you tell us about this Seher? What do you mean, we were touched by him?", Chakotay asked.

"Of course, of course," he cried, "Seher is a child of the great Nuru. Whereas Nuru stands for 'light of the day', Seher is 'dawn', very appropriate, I find. Seher is the god of time. He sees the past, the present, the future and what might have been. Sometimes, he chooses individuals to see as he does, thus they are touched by him. What they experience exactly, nobody knows, since they hardly talk about it. But all of them have a certain glow about them, just like you. You did see something, didn't you?"

"Yes," Kathryn said slowly, "yes, it was...," she glanced at Chakotay, "enlightening."

"That is good. Well, I won't keep you any longer. Have a good life and may Nuru's light shine upon you, always." He was gone as quickly as he had appeared, leaving the command team no chance to say goodbye.

Chakotay shook his head.

"What did a famous starfleet captain once say, 'weird is part of the job'?"

Kathryn chuckled and part of the tension they had felt left.

"Captain Janeway, Commander!" A small figure was running towards them, waving his arms frantically. It rapidly became larger and turned out to be Consul Benja.

"I'm so glad to find you," he said, out of breath, "I came as soon as I heard. What an honor, what a wonderful gift! I am delighted! I've wanted to ask you before, but there was so much to do and all. I would like to invite you to this evenings Celebration of Light. You will come, of course?" He beamed widely at them.

Kathryn felt Chakotay's hand close around hers. She knew that they both thought the same. No, they would rather be anywhere else than still on this planet this evening.

"I'm sorry, Consul, but we feel that we have imposed on you enough already. We also need to be underway. Our voyage home is still long. You have been a very gracious host and we'd like to thank you for everything."

"I understand, Captain, better than you might think. As much as it pains me not to share this wonderful celebration with you, it is also the only answer I should have expected of you. Those that have been touched by Seher always require solitude afterwards. It tells me that he truly touched you. Captain, Commander, then there is nothing left than to say goodbye to you. It was a delight showing you around. You are such a remarkable people. I wish you a save journey and a long and happy life."

"Wait, Consul?" Kathryn had forgotten one thing.

"Yes?"

"In those... visions, a house had been burning, children were trapped inside. The street's number was..." She didn't know.

"Forty-seven," Chakotay helped out. The Consul grew thoughtful at that information.

"We will look into it," he promised. "Thank you."

_Later that evening..._

Kathryn was nervous when she stepped out of her quarters. She was wearing the dress she had seen in her visions. A million thoughts were stumbling around her mind but they all were attracted to one topic: these strange visions. They hadn't talked much on their way back to Voyager, both had still been captured by the visions. It was really hard to shake them off. They only had agreed that they would have dinner in his quarters at 1900 hours. She pressed the chime.

The door opened promptly, Chakotay waiting beside it.

"You are even more beautiful in that dress in the real world!" He extended a hand to her. She blushed slightly and took his hand.

"Thank you," she whispered.

The dinner table was already set in a very romantic way. There were candles and a vase with a single peace rose. A delicious smell tickled her nose. Chakotay watched her inhale deeply and laughed.

"I've asked Benja for a few recipes of these delicious foods they sold. At least I hope they are delicious, they certainly smelled so."

"What a wonderful idea!"

"O, I almost forgot. This is for you." He put a small package into her hand. With nimble fingers she unwrapped it and...

"I wandered about it. It is so delicate! Thank you so very much." She put the shawl around her neck.

Chakotay looked at her approvingly.

"I am glad you like it."

Chakotay held the chair out for her as she sat down, then took his seat as well. The air around them was suddenly filled with tension.

"Do you..."  
>"Have you..." They said in unison and chuckled nervously.<p>

"Kim to Captain Janeway."

Saved by the ensign, she thought.

"Go ahead, Ensign."

"Consul Benja just called. He said to tell you, that the house indeed caught fire but that there where no children inside." Captain and Commander shared a look of relief.

"Very good. Thank you, Ensign."

"You wanted to say something?" Chakotay made the first move, but left it to her to actually address the subject that was on both their minds.

"Well, about the visions. I don't think I can..."

"change 'parameters'. I understand." Chakotay sounded crestfallen.

"disregard them, I wanted to say. Thinking about all the time we lost is so sad. I didn't like the first two visions. Not sure about the last one, but at least we did acknowledge our feelings. You do love me, don't you?", she added as an afterthought. All of a sudden, she wasn't sure whether he had seen the same vision, felt the same regret and pain and even loved her as she did him.

His eyes softened.

"Of course I do, with all my heart. You think we can make it work?"

"I can't say it will be easy. Being on a small ship, being Captain and First Officer, it might be the wrong decision. One of us might really die some day. But when that happens, I want to have good memories of our love and no regrets. I need something good in my life and you are the best thing that happened to me. I love you, Chakotay."

"And I love you, Kathryn."

They shared their first kiss and both knew instantly that it was even better in reality.

**The end.**


End file.
